Yes I used straw not hay. Straw goes for about $2 per bale here in Ohio. 50 bales cost me $100 including delivery.
I used a broadcast spreader to seed and fertilize, push type.
I'm sorry to here you Texans aren't getting any rain. I've been fortunate with regular rains so no supplemental watering wasn't necessary. All the rain we've been getting up here is holding up the crop harvest, we've had a little too much of a good thing.
It would take a lot of plugs to get this kind of result this quickly. Seems like it would be a lot more work too. There are a few weeds but not many. They must have been in the soil when I seeded, nothing a little 2-4D won't take care of.
Here is the result 1 month after the first rain.
